The invention relates to a pressure sensitive adhesive composition comprising a poly(1-alkene) elastomer and a multifunctional (meth)acrylate component. The invention also relates to articles comprising the composition and a method of making the composition.
Poly(1-alkenes) are alpha-olefin polymers also referred to as poly-(xcex1-olefins). Poly(1-alkenes) are known in the art to be useful in a variety of compositions, such as pressure sensitive adhesives. However, each particular such pressure sensitive adhesive typically does not have the properties necessary to meet requirements of each and every of the many different specific applications that exist for pressure sensitive adhesives. There is an ongoing need for pressure sensitive adhesives having specific properties tailored to meet the requirements of the particular end use. For example, it would be desirable to provide a poly(1-alkene) elastomer-based pressure sensitive adhesive that can bond well to polar substrates. Furthermore, it would be desirable for such adhesives to possess adequate cohesive strength such that can be cleanly removed from such an adherend without separating from the backing (when used in the form of a tape).
The pressure sensitive adhesive composition of the invention is tailorable to provide a unique balance of adhesive properties in an attempt to address the need for a pressure sensitive adhesive that adheres to a broad range of substrates while having high adhesion to a tape backing, i.e., the tape adheres to a surface, but on removal, the adhesive pulls cleanly away from the surface and remains adhered to the backing.
In one embodiment, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition of the present invention comprises: a first domain comprising a poly(1-alkene) elastomer; and a second domain comprising a multifunctional component selected from multifunctional (meth)acrylate monomers, multifunctional (meth)acrylate oligomers, and combinations thereof; wherein the second domain comprises at least about 30 weight percent of the multifunctional component based on the total weight of the second domain. In another embodiment, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition comprises: greater than 50 weight percent of at least one poly(1-alkene) elastomer and at least one multifunctional (meth)acrylate component.
The pressure sensitive adhesive composition is capable of adhering to a broad range of substrates, e.g., polar materials, such as glass, metals and polar polymers; and nonpolar materials, such as polyolefins, and can be tailored to provide varying cohesive strengths suitable for the intended end use. The pressure sensitive adhesive composition can, optionally, be crosslinked to provide improved cohesive strength properties so that the tape can be removed cleanly from a substrate without the adhesive separating from the backing or the adhesive failing cohesively and leaving adhesive residue on the surface.
This balance of adhesive properties is especially suited for applications, such as paint masking tape applications, where the adhesive is expected to adhere tightly to a masked surface, but also cleanly remove from the surface without separating from the backing. Adhesive tapes used for paint masking applications typically use a high strength backing, such as polyester.